Historic Mormon Conference Marked With Non-English Addresses

Chi Hong (Sam) Wong of the First Quorum of the Seventy delivered the first non-English address in Cantonese Saturday, October 4, 2014 in Salt Lake City.

Inspired messages from our living prophet, apostles, and other Church leaders echoed throughout the world for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) 184th semi-annual General Conference October 4th and 5th.

A historic conference, many Church leaders gave addresses in their native tongues such as Spanish, Portuguese, and Cantonese, as opposed to all in English. For those 21,000 in attendance at Salt Lake City’s Conference Center, big screens were provided with subtitles. Those who watched via broadcast heard the addresses dubbed in English or their own native language.

Thomas S. Monson, prophet and president of our Church, announced in the Saturday morning session several numbers showing worldwide growth: LDS membership now exceeds 15 million, the number of missionaries (both men and women) has reached more than 88,000. And by 2015, he said that five more temples will be dedicated or rededicated, totaling 170 temples operating around the world.

Topics of conference addresses included spiritual and physical preparedness and becoming more like Jesus Christ. While every address was beautiful and inspired, two of them especially touched my heart. I loved the words of President Monson when he spoke of the Savior. He told a story of how a lady visited the Holy Land and exclaimed, “I walked where Jesus walked!”

President Monson reminded us that it is more important to walk as He walked than where He walked. “Jesus walked the path of disappointment. Jesus walked the path of pain. Jesus walked the path of prayer….By walking in His path, He has promised to share with us eternal life.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, spoke of how “we are all beggars” and should help the poor. I found it profound when he said, “Jesus’ first and foremost messianic duty would be to bless the poor, including the poor in spirit.”

He told a story of President Monson, whom he has known for 47 years. Elder Holland said that the image he will always cherish of the then-apostle was of him getting off a plane from a once war-torn East Germany “in his house slippers because he had given away not only his second suit and his extra shirt but the very shoes off his feet.”

With messages such as these every April and October Conference, it is impossible not to feel spiritually full with a renewed determination to emulate our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is His Church, and the feeling I felt confirms to me that these are His messages.